Page 141 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

Transport

How do

monorails

work?

ost monorail trains use wheels
Mrunning over a single guide rail,
with horizontal wheels clamping it to the
Why do you lose radio signals rail on either side. But some use maglev
technology to float above the track.
in a tunnel? There are two main types:
electromagnetic suspension (EMS) and
electrodynamic suspension (EDS).
hen you are travelling in a vehicle high frequency channels but not the medium Maglev trains accelerate using magnetic
Wlistening to a radio station that wave ones. The higher frequency of an FM coils built into the side of the track. These
broadcasts on medium wave (AM), the signal radio station allows the wave to pass create an overlapping pattern of
will weaken or cut out when you go through through most solid matters with little or no alternating north and south magnetic
a tunnel. However, when you are listening to interference thanks to its wide bandwidth. fields. The train rapidly alternates the
a radio station that broadcasts on high On the other hand, AM radio stations are direction of its own magnetic coils to
frequency (FM), the signal remains strong. unable to prevent solid structured matters attract the front of the train to the next
This is because many tunnels have what is from blocking the wave, causing the sound coil along the rail.
known as a relay system that maintains the to dip.

How many

horsepower did the

Wright Brothers’

plane have?

n December 1903, after years of studying,
I designing and inventing, American brothers
Orville and Wilbur Wright finally invented and built
the first successful airplane. Known as the Flyer, it
had a simple motor without a fuel pump,
carburettor, throttle or spark plugs. Yet
astonishingly, it was capable of producing 12
horsepower. This was pretty impressive,
considering their minimum requirement was only
8 horsepower. The first flight lasted for 12 seconds
and covered a distance of 37 metres (120 feet).
The Flyer’s water-cooled, gasoline engine had four
cylinders that were enclosed in a cast aluminium
crankcase. It weighed less than 91kg (200lb) and The Flyer was the first successful
airplane and produced 12 horsepower
powered two propellers.

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